This is the time of year when families review college financial aid awards and agonize over whether they can afford the tab. Many parents don’t realize that students don’t have to accept the first award they receive from a college. One reason is because it’s a buyer’s market at many institutions.

The nation’s most popular college savings plan is about to become even more so. The popularity of the 529 college savings plan is likely to increase because the new federal tax legislation expands the ways that the accounts may be used.